A/RES/56/217 Panel on United Nations Peace Operations 8 and the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the report of the Panel, 9 Reaffirming the need to promote and ensure respect for the principles and rules of international humanitarian law, Deeply concerned by the growing number of complex humanitarian emergencies in the past few years, in particular in armed conflicts and in postconflict situations, which have dramatically increased the loss of human lives, in particular of civilians, the suffering of victims, flows of refugees and internally displaced persons, as well as material destruction, which disrupt the development efforts of the countries affected, in particular those of developing countries, Concerned by the increasingly difficult context in which humanitarian assistance takes place in some areas, in particular the continuous erosion, in many cases, of respect for the principles and rules of international humanitarian law, Deeply concerned by the dangers and security risks faced by humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel at the field level, and mindful of the need to improve the current security management system in order to improve their safety and security, Strongly deploring the rising toll of casualties among national and international humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel in complex humanitarian emergencies, in particular in armed conflicts and in postconflict situations, Strongly condemning the acts of murder and other forms of violence, rape and sexual assault, intimidation, armed robbery, abduction, hostage-taking, kidnapping, harassment and illegal arrest and detention to which those participating in humanitarian operations are increasingly exposed, as well as attacks on humanitarian convoys and acts of destruction and looting of their property, Strongly condemning also all incidents in many parts of the world in which humanitarian personnel have been deliberately targeted, and expressing profound regret at the deaths of all United Nations and other personnel involved in the provision of humanitarian assistance, Reaffirming that ensuring the safety and security of United Nations personnel constitutes an underlying duty of the Organization, which must be based on a necessary cost-sharing arrangement with the relevant agencies, funds and programmes within the United Nations system, Recalling that primary responsibility under international law for the security and protection of humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel lies with the Government hosting a United Nations operation conducted under the Charter of the United Nations or its agreements with relevant organizations, Urging all other parties involved in armed conflicts, in compliance with international humanitarian law, in particular their obligations under the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 10 and the obligations applicable to them under the _______________ 8 See A/55/305-S/2000/809. A/55/502. 10 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, Nos. 970–973. 9 2